Pharmacy

We are staying at the Rainbow Express Hotel near Shimane University. When we go out, we leave the key at the front desk.

I'm not sure how it is secure. When I come back, they just hold out a box of keys to me, and I can take as many as I want.

Dropping off the key on my way out, I ask the lady at reception if there are any pharmacies nearby.

"Yes, of course." she answers, "What do you need?"

"Just a pharmacy," I say.

"What are you going to buy?" she asks.

I take a second. I don't know the word for `wart' in Japanese, 'misu-something', so say: "You don't really have to know that, do you?"

"Well," she says, "What if they don't sell what you want? Then it's a waste of your time, right?"

"I'm sure they will sell it?"

"Well, how do I know if you won't tell me. If you wanted an apple, for example, they wouldn't sell it. It would be better to go to a grocery store."

"It's not an apple."

"For example! But how do I know that if you won't tell me."

"I don't think you have to worry about that. Could you just tell me what direction the closest pharmacy is?" I ask, trying no to be too sharp.

"Fine. It's up by the Aeon, just past it." she capitulates. "But I don't see what the problem is with letting me know. You leave your key with me. Next time you are out, I can just go up to your room and see what you bought."

"You shouldn't be going in my room!" I say, a bit too loudly.

"I know," she says. "But I could. It's about trust. You trust me with your key, why can't you trust me with your pharmaceutical secrets?"

"It's not the same thing." I turn to leave. I look back and say, "Don't go in my room."

"I won't," she says. "Let's have a little kiss then."

"What?" I stop.

"To show me you still trust me. That you aren't angry"

"I don't trust you."

"Just a little kiss." she insists. "I could just go into your room when you are out and suck on your toothbrush. It's the same thing, and you trust me with that. Come on, just a little kiss."

I lean forward and peck her on the cheek.

"Lips and tongue." she says, "I'm not going to brush my cheek with your toothbrush, am I?"

"This is insane." I say.

The manager comes in. He sees that there is tension. "What's going on?" he asks.

"He's going to the pharmacy," she tells him. "But I don't know what he wants to buy."

"What if he wants to buy an apple?" he asks her.

"I know." she says.

"I'll take care of this." he says, and she walks off stage.

He looks at me, a little upset.

"Let's have a little kiss then, just so we know that you trust us."